"There could be no healing without pardon." (Cheney says Ford knew this)

[journalist3072]

So I'm watching the coverage of the state funeral for Ford, and Cheney said that Ford understood there could be no healing without a pardon."

Huh?

Why are so many people willing to sell the American people short and say we as a country could not have moved on if Nixon faced charges and stood trial?

The wheels of the government would NOT have stopped.

So instead of "there could be no healing without pardon," I offer another perspective.

"There could be no justice WITH a pardon."

[SpiralHawk]

1. "But Saddam wasn't playing ball, so we had to off him." - Dick Five Deferments Cheney

"Special rules for special people, you know." - Shotgun Dickie 5D

[muntrv]

2. Are we sure that Cheney worked for Ford, and not Nixon?

The chimpy white house is copying the tricky dick playbook.

[babylonsister]

3. Maybe he's projecting. He-he. nt

[Berry Cool]

5. I think his whole speech was one long "PLEEEEEASE don't go after us!" plea.

He knows times are changing and a new Congress is coming in...and he wants to make damn sure it's well intimidated into not even considering holding him or his beloved Pres accountable for anything they have done. So he's gotta lay on the guilt trip now...make it clear that if they don't forgive and forget, history will hold THEM accountable for the divisiveness of the country afterward (because he wants them to be sure, there WILL be divisiveness!).

I'm sure in the back of his mind he's thinking "Hey, Jer, thanks for kicking the bucket in such a timely manner. Puts everyone in that 'either forgive and forget the bad guys or be blamed for the mess that results if you don't' mood, doesn't it?"

[C_U_L8R]

4. It's an old Jedi Mind Trick

There are no Sith Lords here.... move along

[Uben]

6. Just like

there can be no healing now unless there is impeachment and removal from office,

[dflprincess]

7. I've always found it hard to believe that a country that had

survived the Civil War, two World Wars and the Great Depression could not have coped with a former president being tried for crimes he committed.

All Ford's pardon did was prove that some people ARE above the law. I know that made me more cynical and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[vireo]

22. I watched an old "Family Feud" episode today

and the question was (in effect) "Name a famous person who would have been sentenced to prison if not for their position and connections." 40 percent responded with "Nixon." This was circa 1988.

BTW, 7 percent said Oliver North and one of the panelists guessed Reagan :rofl: (who failed to make the survey, sadly).

[Big Sky Boy]

8. Most Historians

Agree that it was probably the best thing to do at the time.

If Ford was going to have any legacy at all, he needed to steer the nation beyond Watergate. Without the pardon his entire short term in office would have been overshadowed by endless investigations and the prospect of dealing with a convicted president.

Tip O'Neill made a similar argument when he refused to pursue impeachment in the wake of the Iran Contra scandal. He said he had lived through Watergate and would not put the country through a similar ordeal again.

We know Republicans demonstrated no such restraint in their dealings with Clinton.

Now we are told that if we attempt to impeach the imbecile in office, Democrats will suffer the same blow to credibility that destroyed the Republicans in the wake of Whitewater.

I've got two things to say to that:

1) Impeaching Clinton was NOT a disaster for Republicans. They held onto the House for eight more years. Installed a two-term president and seized control of the Senate. Not too shabby if you ask me.

2) I think most Americans understand that what happened between two consenting adults in the Oval office is completely irrelevant in comparison to the carnage of a trumped up war based on deception.

But I digress.

Getting back to Ford and even Tip O'Neill. I think historians will eventually come to the conclusion that both decisions were huge mistakes. Pardoning Nixon and looking the other way on Reagan emboldened Republicans, who had already come to believe they were above the rule of law.

Of Course Cheney believes "there could be no healing without a pardon," just as he believes he is entitled to a pardon for himself and the rest of his cronies.

[GeneCosta]

12. Maybe Clinton was revenge for Johnson

Way back when the neocons would have been rallying together on their slave plantations.

All I know is if the chance presents itself, there better be no hesitation in impeaching W. Nixon was a crook; Bush is something much worse...

[malaise]

9. Cheney is hoping for a pardon himself

No chance

[left is right]

10. was cheney at least properly dressed for a funeral this time

or did he show up in his parka and team bush staff tobogan?

[AlCzervik]

11. did he follow that with "Wink, wink, nudge, nudge know what i mean?"

[hatrack]

13. "There could be no healing with a verdict' - that's what he's saying

Anybody else buy that?

Nah, I didn't think so either . . .

[David__77]

14. A conviction for capital murder and maximum sentence would have brought closure.

Surely Nixon deserved the fate he visited upon so many children of Vietnam and Cambodia. He deserved no mercy or forgiveness and not the least bit of compassion. Closure and "healing" could really only be achieved through JUSTICE for the victims of Nixon's many crimes.

[EFerrari]

15. Even their metaphors are screwn.

lol

[ritziecracker]

16. Tell it to the guy you shot in the Face!!!

pardon me!

[Capn Amerika]

17. Politicians would have far more political capital today,

if they had held Nixon accountable for his crimes then. Now, it's just taken for granted that all politicians are corrupt. It's why so many Americans have so much apathy for the political process.

[Marr]

18. Oh, yes- I'm sure we all would've died of despair had

Cheney, Rumsfeld, and all the other Nixonites had been held accountable for their crimes.

That line is so bullshit. If Nixon *hadn't* been pardoned, if Reagan and the Reaganites *hadn't* been let off the hook, we'd all be much better shape. Corrupt bastards should be thrown in prison- it keeps them out of government.

[Imagevision]

19. Total bullsh*t, just google Ford Nixon pardon, the truth shall set you free bubbah!!

[WhiteTara]

20. there was no healing and the festering pus of that wound

is spreading all over the world. They should have all been indicted, tried and convicted of crimes and Nixon should have gone to jail along with the entire crew of evil doers. As it is, they went underground and surfaced through Poppy and he pardoned the entire crew AGAIN and here we are today; in grave peril.

And besides Dick Cheney is a practiced, accomplished liar, ANYTHING he says is a lie.

[in_cog_ni_to]

21. "He did it for the country" is the new talking point for the RWers. They're trying to GUILT the Dems

into not impeaching their sorry asses after they're exposed. It's so OBVIOUS! All 3 eulogies ran in the same vein.."He did it for the country." That's no coincidence...IMCPO.

It's time for some JUSTICE. Nixon and Reagan both broke the LAW. NEITHER paid for their crime. If this administration gets away with what they have done, we-are-so-screwed.:(